Custom Timber Flooring Imports

Special Imports Tailored to Your Living Space

Custom timber imports tailored to your project: Whether you’re after wide‑plank oak, reclaimed timber, or a special colour, we’ll connect you with European mills who can make it happen. You design it—we’ll import and bring it to Aotearoa, ready to lay.

Why Choose Custom Timber Flooring?

When you select a custom wood floor, you get more than just a beautiful surface – you receive a floor that reflects your individuality and enhances the natural aesthetic of your living space. Our special imports allow you to choose from various premium woods, finishes, and textures, ensuring that your new floor complements your design vision.

We collaborate closely with leading manufacturers across Europe, ensuring that every imported timber floor meets the highest quality standards. From European oak to reclaimed wood, our range of bespoke timber floors brings elegance and sophistication to any project.

Crafted for Durability and Longevity

Each of our custom timber flooring imports is chosen for its resilience and longevity. Our flooring products are designed to withstand daily wear while maintaining their natural beauty. Whether you’re renovating a single room or designing an entire home, our tailored flooring solutions provide a timeless foundation for your interior spaces.

Expert Advice and Consultation

Our team is here to guide you through the process of selecting the perfect custom timber floor for your project. We understand that every home is different, which is why we offer personalised advice and detailed consultations.  Our objective is to ensure that your flooring choice aligns with your lifestyle, design, and practical needs.  Schedule a consultation with a Vienna Woods expert here.

Elevate Your Space with Tailored Timber Imports

Choosing a custom timber floor from Vienna Woods means choosing unmatched quality and personalisation. We invite you to explore our selection of bespoke flooring imports, and discover how we can help turn your design dreams into reality.

Contact us today to discuss your project and request a sample of our imported timber floors.

Custom flooring import thermal treated timber floor dark brown in living room with piano
Wagon Back Herringbone Reclaimed French Oak Flooring

Vienna Woods // Reclaimed Wagon Oak Herringbone

Wagon Back Herringbone Reclaimed French Oak Flooring

Vienna Woods // Admonter // Reclaimed Hacked

How to Combine Underfloor Heating and Wooden Floors

Pairing underfloor heating and wooden floors creates a warm, inviting, and energy-efficient living space. However, achieving the perfect balance requires careful planning and the right materials. This guide explores best practices and tips to ensure your wooden floors complement your underfloor heating system, all while keeping them durable and beautiful.

Choosing the Right Wooden Flooring for Underfloor Heating

Not all wooden floors are created equal when it comes to underfloor heating. Engineered timber flooring is the best choice due to its stability and resistance to heat-induced warping. Engineered boards consist of multiple layers, making them less prone to expansion and contraction compared to solid wood.

For Kiwi homeowners, engineered timber flooring options, such as those in our Vienna Woods Collection, combine style and practicality. These floors are specifically designed to perform well with modern heating systems.

For further insights, explore Warmup’s guide on using underfloor heating with timber floors, which provides practical advice on material selection.

Best Practices for Installation

To ensure the longevity of your wooden floors and the effectiveness of your underfloor heating system, follow these essential steps:

  • Prepare Your Floors Properly: Acclimate timber to the room’s temperature and humidity for at least 48 hours before installation.
  • Maintain Even Heating: Ensure heating elements cover the entire floor area to avoid cold spots.
  • Monitor Surface Temperatures: Keep floor surface temperatures below 27°C to prevent damage to the timber.
  • Avoid Heat Blockages: Use rugs sparingly, as they can trap heat and lead to uneven flooring conditions.

For more detailed technical tips, visit ThermoSphere’s guide on underfloor heating installation.

Benefits of Underfloor Heating and Wooden Floors

Combining underfloor heating and wooden floors offers both aesthetic and functional benefits:

  1. Unmatched Comfort: Step onto warm, cosy wooden floors even on chilly mornings.
  2. Energy Efficiency: Underfloor heating systems distribute heat evenly, lowering energy consumption.
  3. Timeless Appeal: Wooden floors enhance any room with their natural beauty and warmth.

Discover how underfloor heating integrates seamlessly with different styles of flooring by reading our article on the benefits of engineered timber flooring.

Common Questions

Can all wooden floors be used with underfloor heating?

No, solid wood flooring is generally not recommended. Engineered wood offers better stability and durability when paired with underfloor heating.

What finishes are best for heated wooden floors?

Oil or lacquer finishes work well, provided they are suitable for heated surfaces. Check out our guide to choosing the right finish for your wooden floor for more details.

Final Thoughts

Combining underfloor heating and wooden floors transforms your home into a cosy retreat, all while improving energy efficiency. By choosing high-quality engineered timber and following best practices, you can enjoy warmth and beauty without compromising durability.

For expert advice and a wide selection of suitable flooring, explore our engineered wood flooring options or contact us today to discuss your project.

Looking for a flooring adhesive suitable for underfloor heating?  Try Parabond 440.

Sustainable Timber Flooring

Choosing the right flooring can play a significant role in shaping the environmental impact of your home. In New Zealand, engineered timber flooring has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly option, offering a myriad of benefits over traditional flooring materials. But not all timber flooring is sourced from sustainable forests or made using sustainable practices.  Let’s explore the various ways in which the right choice in engineered timber can contribute to a more sustainable future.

 

Sustainable Sourcing

What makes engineered timber green? It starts with responsibly‑managed European forests and finishes in a stable, long‑lasting floor that stores carbon for decades. We only work with mills who share that environmental commitment.

By choosing flooring that is sourced sustainably, you are contributing to the preservation of natural forests.  Be sure to check the credentials of your supplier and the certification of their timber.

Vienna Woods, a leading New Zealand importer of quality timber flooring, sources its products from suppliers committed to sustainability. This dedication is reflected in the certifications they hold, demonstrating compliance with rigorous standards that support forest conservation.

 

Recycled Materials

There are now many choices for reclaimed and recylced timber floors, which is fantastic way to use a product displaying rich character and reducing our impact.  Vienna Woods offers aged and reclaimed options here.

 

Long Lifespan

Durability is another sustainability hallmark of engineered timber. With a longer lifespan than many other flooring options, engineered timber reduces the need for frequent replacements. This longevity translates into fewer resources used for manufacturing, transportation, and disposal over time, lessening the environmental footprint.

 

Understanding FSC Certification

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognised certification body that promotes responsible forest management. FSC certification ensures that wood products come from forests that meet strict environmental, social, and economic standards. It helps consumers make informed choices about the sustainability of their purchases.

Vienna Woods’ suppliers hold several FSC certifications, including the FSC Single Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood. These certifications indicate that the wood used in their flooring comes from responsibly managed sources, providing peace of mind to eco-conscious consumers.

 

Other Sustainability Certifications

Europe is home to various sustainability certifications that guide the construction industry toward greener practices. Beyond FSC, other notable certifications include:

  • Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): This is another international certification that promotes sustainable forest management. It is similar to FSC but has different criteria and processes, providing additional options for ensuring sustainable sourcing.
  • European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR): This regulation aims to combat illegal logging by requiring companies to ensure their timber is legally sourced. It is a legal framework that underpins sustainability certifications.

Each certification has a unique focus, but all work toward the common goal of promoting sustainability in forestry and construction. By choosing products with these certifications, you are supporting a more environmentally responsible industry.

 

The Broader Scope of Sustainability in Construction

Sustainability in construction encompasses more than just materials—it also involves energy efficiency, waste reduction, and reducing carbon emissions. Using sustainable timber contributes to this broader scope by providing a renewable resource that can be managed to support ecosystem health.

In New Zealand, where natural beauty is a significant part of the national identity, the construction industry’s move toward sustainability aligns with the country’s values. Specifying the right  timber flooring, with environmentally friendly sourcing and durability plays a role in reducing the carbon footprint of buildings and promoting a greener future.

By choosing Vienna Woods for your timber flooring needs, you are supporting a business committed to sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Sustainability Certifications from some of our producers:

What Goes First – The Kitchen or the Flooring

Kitchen or flooring first? The short answer.

It depends on the installation method. If your timber floor is being floated, install the kitchen first and run the floor around (and slightly under) the cabinet end panels and kick boards. If the floor is being glued down to the subfloor, install the floor first and sit the kitchen on top.

This is the most common renovation-sequencing question we field at our Newmarket showroom — and it’s the detail most often missed in a build programme. Get it wrong and you’ll see lifting boards, scribed end panels, or extra flooring needed the next time the kitchen layout changes.

Installation method Order Why
Floating Kitchen first, then floor The floor must be free to expand and contract — fixed weight on top can cause boards to lift.
Glued down Floor first, then kitchen Cleaner finish at the cabinet base, no scribing on site, full coverage if the kitchen ever changes.

Why does the order matter?

Three things change depending on whether the floor or the cabinets go down first:

  • Movement. Engineered timber floors expand and contract with the seasons. A floating floor needs an unbroken expansion gap around the entire perimeter — including under the kitchen cabinets — to move freely.
  • Finish quality. Running the floor under the cabinets (glue-down) gives a continuous timber line at the kick board, with no on-site scribing or visible board ends.
  • Future flexibility. If the kitchen changes layout in five or ten years, a floor that runs wall-to-wall doesn’t need patching. A floor that stops at the original cabinet footprint usually does.

For most renovations using engineered European oak, we recommend the glue-down approach for these reasons — it’s the spec used in most of our commercial fit-outs and in higher-end residential projects.

Floating installation: install the kitchen first

If you’re floating your timber floor (or installing laminate), install the kitchen cabinets first and lay the floor around them.

A floating floor relies on the boards being free to move as a single sheet. Anything heavy and fixed sitting on top — kitchen cabinetry in particular — anchors that section of the floor and stops it moving with the rest. The result is buckling, gapping, or boards lifting at the joins, especially through the first summer-to-winter cycle.

The standard approach:

  1. Install the kitchen cabinets onto the bare subfloor, with end panels undercut by the floor thickness plus underlay (typically 16–20mm).
  2. Run the floating floor up to the cabinet line and slide it under the undercut end panels for a clean finish.
  3. Leave the kick boards off until the floor is laid, then fit them last so they sit on top of the floor.
  4. Maintain a 10–12mm expansion gap at all hard edges — walls, columns, doorways — concealed by skirting or scotia.

Free-standing appliances (ovens, dishwashers, fridges) sit on top of the floor — pull-out access stays clean.

Kitchen sink and island over Bordeaux herringbone oak flooring in Westmere home

Glue-down installation: install the floor first

If your timber floor is being glued directly to the subfloor, we strongly recommend installing the floor first and letting the kitchen cabinets sit on top.

Three reasons:

  • Cleaner cabinet base. The cabinet end panels finish on the floor surface, not against it — no on-site scribing, no compromise on the line.
  • Full timber coverage. Boards run wall-to-wall. If you change the kitchen layout in future, you’re not patching the floor.
  • No expansion conflict. A glued-down floor is bonded to the subfloor and doesn’t need free movement, so kitchen weight on top is irrelevant.

Some builders prefer to install the kitchen first and butt the floor against the cabinet base — usually for programme reasons. It works, but you lose the clean finish and the wall-to-wall coverage. We’d push back on this unless there’s no other option.

Get the subfloor right before either approach

The single biggest cause of failed kitchen flooring installs isn’t the order of work — it’s a subfloor that wasn’t checked properly before the floor went down.

For engineered timber flooring in New Zealand, the working tolerances are:

  • Flatness: within 3mm over a 3m straight edge.
  • Moisture content: concrete subfloors below 75% RH (BS 8203) or below 4.5% by weight; timber subfloors at 8–14% MC.
  • No active rising damp. If you’ve had a leak or a slab pour in the last 90 days, test before specifying.

A subfloor that’s outside tolerance shows up as:

  • Hollow or springy spots underfoot, particularly in front of the dishwasher and ovens.
  • Boards that creak as you walk past the island.
  • Visible unevenness against kitchen joinery, skirtings or door frames.

This is why the installer matters. We’ve seen plenty of beautiful timber compromised by a subfloor nobody checked — and the fix after the fact is always more expensive than the prep would have been.

Wide plank European oak flooring in a modern kitchen with marble island, timber dining table and architectural loft staircase in a Queenstown New Zealand home

Renovation sequencing checklist

The right order of operations for most kitchen renovations involving engineered timber flooring:

  1. Demolition — strip back to the subfloor.
  2. Plumbing and electrical rough-in — done before anything closes up.
  3. Subfloor preparation — level, moisture-test, repair where needed.
  4. Cabinet template / set-out marking on the subfloor.
  5. Then the order branches:
    • Glue-down floor → install the floor, then cabinets on top.
    • Floating floor → install the cabinets (end panels undercut), then run the floor around them.
  6. Skirtings, scotia and kick boards — fitted last in both cases.
  7. Benchtops, splashbacks, appliances — once the floor and joinery are protected.

Plan the floor delivery to allow at least 5–7 days of acclimatisation on site (in the room it will be installed) before the install date. Engineered European oak ships kiln-dried, but it still needs to settle to the room’s humidity.

What to specify for a kitchen floor

Kitchens are the highest-wear room in most homes — water spills, dropped pots, dragged stools, sun-warmed tile through bifolds, and constant foot traffic. The flooring spec needs to handle all of it.

Three things matter more than the rest:

  • Engineered, not solid. An engineered board is dimensionally stable across humidity swings; solid timber is not, and a kitchen has more moisture variation than any other room. More on engineered timber flooring NZ.
  • A hardwearing finish. A UV-cured lacquered finish is the most practical for kitchens — it shrugs off spills, doesn’t need re-oiling, and is the easiest to keep clean. See our lacquered finish options.
  • Format that suits the layout. Wide planks (180mm+) suit open-plan kitchen-living rooms; herringbone parquet works in smaller, formal kitchens where the pattern becomes part of the design.

Wear layer matters too — anything below 3mm is too thin for a kitchen. We supply a 4mm wear layer as standard across our engineered range, which gives at least one full sand-and-refinish over the life of the floor.

Where the order affects the cost

Sequencing affects the cost of a kitchen flooring install in three ways:

  • Extra timber, glue-down + floor first: covers the area under the cabinets too. Adds roughly 2–4m² depending on kitchen size, but you only do it once.
  • Cabinet undercutting, floating + kitchen first: the joiner needs to undercut end panels and leave kick boards off until the floor is in. Usually a fixed labour add, $200–$400.
  • Subfloor remediation: if it’s not flat or dry, that’s fixed before the floor goes down — typically $30–$80/m² depending on what’s needed.

For full pricing across engineered oak supply, installation methods, and format premiums, see our timber flooring cost guide for NZ.

Natural Wood Flooring Oak in Open Kitchen - Distilled Collection

FAQ — kitchen and flooring sequencing

Should I install timber flooring under kitchen cabinets?

If the floor is glued down, yes — run it wall to wall and let the cabinets sit on top. If it’s floated, no — install the cabinets first and run the floor around them, with end panels undercut to take the floor underneath.

Do I need to install the flooring before the dishwasher?

Yes for both methods. Free-standing appliances (dishwashers, ovens, fridges) sit on top of the finished floor so they can be pulled out for cleaning or replacement without lifting boards.

Will I need to replace the floor if I change the kitchen layout later?

Not if it was glued down — the floor runs underneath, so a new layout fits straight on top. With a floating floor that stopped at the original cabinet line, you’ll need to patch in new boards wherever the new layout extends past the old one. Colour matching after a few years is rarely perfect, so this is a real cost to plan for.

What height should the cabinet kick boards be?

Typically 100–150mm, but more importantly the joiner needs to leave them off until the floor is laid (floating method). Kick boards are then fitted on top of the finished floor so the line runs cleanly across both.

Can the floor and the kitchen joinery be the same colour?

They can, but matching exactly is hard — different timber species, finish chemistry and grain direction read differently. Most designers we work with deliberately contrast the two: a warm engineered oak floor against a painted or stained joinery, or vice versa.

How long should the timber acclimatise before installation?

At least 5–7 days in the room it will be installed, in the boxes, with HVAC running at normal occupancy levels. Engineered European oak is more stable than solid, but it still needs to settle to the site’s humidity before it’s nailed or glued in place.

Plan your kitchen flooring with us

We supply and install engineered European oak across Auckland. If you’re sequencing a kitchen renovation and want to get the order right, the install method right, and the spec right — talk to us.

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